Disc slicing machine for foods



H. H. SCHARFEN DISC SLICING MACHINE FOR FOODS Nov. 10, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 8, 1957 "IIIIIIIIIIIII'IIIA L //VVE/V7'0R Hans Hermann Sela/4 27 ZZy Nov. 10, 1959 H. H. SCHARFEN DISC SLICING MACHINE FOR FOODS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 8, 1957 IIIIIIII v QNEEEEM V I M4 "Ill/111111111 I/VVE/VTOR H5715 Herman dds/ 7 7:

NOV. 10, 1959 H, SCHARFEN 2,912,026

DISC SLICING MACHINE FOR FOODS Filed March 8, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 DISC SLICING MACHINE FOR FOODS Hans Hermann Scharfen, Witten, Ruhr, Germany, assignor to Hermann Scharfen, Maschinenfabrik, Witten, Ruhr, Germany Application March 8, 1957, Serial No. 644,940

Claims priority, application Germany March 14, 1956 3 Claims. (Cl. 146-102) This invention relates to a disc slicing machine for foods of the type having a rotary knife disc and support for the material to be sliced movable parallel to the knife disc and being mounted for reciprocating motion.

In slicing machines of this type in which the support or carriage for the material to be sliced is mounted at an angle of approximately 45 relative to the horizontal, the feed of the material takes place due to its weight. The reciprocating motion of the material support parallel to the plane of the knife disc is accomplished in most cases by manual means. One has suggested for the reciprocating motion of the material support the provision of a specific drive which is operated by a suitable transmission to drive such material support. Such structure is rather complicated, and there results a rather expensive machine. Also, such machines were required to be mounted on a special base or pedestal, and they took up considerable room.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a mechanism in which the drive shaft for the knife disc and the material support are interconnected so that the support will be reciprocated from the drive for the knife disc. Since the knife in most machines rotates at slow speeds relative to the speed of the motor, the speed of the knife shaft can approximate the necessary speed of the material support. It is therefore a further object of the invention to provide a very simple drive, since at most there may be required only a small increased speed. Also, a minimum of space is necessary so that the machine casing, as compared with known slicing machines operable by hand, is only the same or slightly larger.

In a preferred form of the invention there is provided between the drive and the material support a separable coupling, and by means of such coupling between an operating chain and the material support there is provided a disconnecting means, such as a hand grip, so that, if desired, the material carriage may be operated manually to reciprocate the latter. It is at times desirable to operate the machine manually, depending upon the size and character of the material to be sliced. Upon operating the machine mechanically it is not necessary to consider the size of the material to be sliced.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a slicing machine in which the material support is operated by a knife hub, preferably by means of a chain or belt, the runs of which are parallel to each other and to the plane of movement of the material support. Thus, another object of the invention resides in the provision of the transmission of a rotary movement of the knife shaft to a reciprocating motion of the material support without the necessity of using control elements.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a chain cooperating with two spaced sprocket wheels and provided with a projecting pin which is connected to operate the material support.

Further objects will be apparent from the following dev Stats atent 3 2,912,026 Patented Nov. 10, 1959 scription when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the slicing machine;

Figure 2 is a cross-section taken on line Ilf-II of Figure 1 in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 3 is a cross-section taken on line III-III of Figure l on an enlarged scale.

The drawings show the slicing machine in which the knife disc 1 is mounted on an axis directed approximately 45 to the vertical and which has a hub 2 connected thereto and rotatably mounted on a stationary axle 3, the disc and hub rotating together upon the axle 3. The axle 3 is mounted in a projecting part 4b of the driving motor 4 and is secured therein. The motor 4 consists of a constant speed electric motor, and this latter has a stub shaft 4a, Figure 3, which drives the knife hub by means of an intermediate friction wheel 28. The friction wheel 28 is mounted in ball bearings 30 on a stub shaft 29 which latter is mounted on an angle member 31 fixed on the housing of the motor 4. The speed of rotation of the knife 1 can, for example, constitute 150 to 300 revolutions per minute, and the knife hub 2, the axle 3, friction Wheel 28 and the electric motor 4 are enclosed in a machine housing or casing 5 which will protect these parts from dust and particles from the materials tobe sliced on the machine. The thus protected and covered parts of the machine mechanism will result in maintaining the machine in a clean and hygienic condition.

Connected to the knife hub 2 there is secured a sprocket wheel 6 which by means of a chain 7 is connected to and drives a sprocket wheel 9 which is rotatably mounted in a lug portion 8 of the machine casing 5. The sprocket wheel 9 is rigidly connected to a sprocket wheel 11 by means of a shaft 10 and mounted on the opposite side of the lug 8 relative to the sprocket wheel 9. In a side direction relative to the sprocket wheel 11 there is provided in the same plane a second sprocket wheel 12, Figure 2, which has the same diameter and configuration as the wheel 12 and which is rotatably mounted in a lug or bearing portion 13 of the machine housing 5. A flexible cable, band or chain 14 is connected around the sprocket Wheels or pulleys 11 and 12, and as seen in Figures 1 and 2, the chain between the wheels follows substantially horizontal runs with the entire chain, the wheels being in a plane parallel to the plane of the knife disc 1.

A support or carriage 15 for the material to be sliced is arranged at an angle of approximately 45 relative to the horizontal, and this support is mounted on a carrying arm 16 mounted on a projecting member 17, Figure 1, having a guide sleeve 18, with'the member 17 projecting under the edge 5a of the casing 5. The sleeve 18 is, as shown in Figure 2, mounted on a guide rod 19 which latter is mounted in the casing 5 approximately horizontally and parallel to the plane of the knife disc 1 and slidable thereon. A horizontal extension member 17a is secured on the guide sleeve 18, the free end being formed as a fork 26 and the shank of the latter being in guiding contact with a guide strip or ledge 27 which is parallel to the glide rod 19 secured in the machine housing 5.

On the extension member 17a of the guide sleeve 18, there is secured a bearing pin 25 mounted parallel to the longitudinal axis of the guides 19 and 27 and on which a coupling lever 20 is mounted extending substantially vertically and parallel to the runs of the chain 14. The coupling lever 20 is provided with a longitudinal slot 21, the length of the latter being somewhat longer than the distance between the runs of the chain 14. The slot 21 receives a pin 22 in which it is guided will carry along the lever 20 so that the members 17 and 17a and the arm 16 will be carried along with the tray 15 whereby this tray will be moved parallel to the knife disc in a reciprocating motion.

The coupling lever 20 is held in the coupling position by means of a compression spring 23 abutting at one end on the end of a projecting member 18a of the sleeve 18 and the other end against the lever 20. With the aid of a steep setting screw 24 which is mounted in a depending lug 18b of the guide sleeve 18, the lever 20 may be adjusted out of the coupling position against the force of the spring 223 by movement of the lever in the direction x. After opening or disengaging the coupling between the coupling lever 20 and the chain 14, the material support or carriage 15 may then be manually operated in the direction of the guide rod 19 and the strip 27.

The drive between the knife hub 2 and the material support carriage 15 could be arranged in such a way that the chain 7 and 14 could be in the form of cables or belts, and the coupling between the material support 15 and the chain 14 could be modified to a structure other than as shown on the drawing.

It is believed that the operation of the slicing machine is obvious from the foregoing description and the drawings. The motor 4 drives the friction wheel 28 by contact with the stub shaft 4a and drives in turn the hub 2 on which the knife disc is mounted and secured. The

hub 2 rotates together with the sprocket wheel 6 which latter drives the chain 7 and sprocket wheel 9. The wheel 9 rotates togetheriwith the sprocket wheel 11 through its shaft, and this wheel 11 operates a chain 14 also around the sprocket wheel 12. Upon actuation of the chain 14 the pin 22 moves back and forth in the slot 21 of the lever 20 which results in the reciprocation of the sleeve 18 on the rod 1 9, the projecting member 17, atm 16 and the support 15. If it is desired to operate the support 15 manually, it is only necessary to rotate the knob and screw 24 which, by the steep thread, will rotate the lever 20 clockwise around the pin 25, Figure 1, which will disengage the slot 21 from the pin 22 and thus the support 15 is free to be moved manually back and forth.

I claim as my invention:

1. A slicing machine for foods of the gravity feed type, comprising a closed casing, a motor mounted in the casing, a hub having a knife disc mounted thereon to rotate therewith, a stationary axle on which the hub is rotatably mounted, transmission means connected to the motor and to the hub to rotate the knife disc, the knife disc being disposed at an oblique angle to the vertical, guide means mounted in the casing, a carriage for the material to be sliced extending substantially perpendicular to the plane of the knife and being slidably mounted by support means for reciprocating motion on the guide means past the knife disc, a band having two runs and being operatively mounted in the casing two spaced wheels on which the band is movably mounted, transmission means connected to the hub and to the band to operate the latter from the motor, the band having a member projecting substantially normal to the plane of the band, means connected to the carriage and in operative engagement with the projecting member, whereby upon movement of the band the carriage will be reciprocated on the guide means, said firstmentioned means including a coupling lever permanently connected to the carriage and having a slot therein into which the projecting member engages, said coupling lever being movably mounted on the support means and means connected to the carriage to. adjust the coupling lever from the outside of the casing to move its slot in and out In the position of the coupling lever 20, as' shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pin 22 of the chain 14 of contact with the projecting member whereby the carriage is connected to or disconnected from the transmission and gear means as to be free for manual reciprocation on the guide means, the motor, the hub, the transmission and gear means, the guide means and the coupling means being completely covered by the casings, and said coupling lever by its movable mounting swinging in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the band in engaged or disengaged position relative to the projecting member on the band.

2. A slicing machine for foods of the gravity feed type, comprising a closed casing, a motor mounted in the casing, a hub having a knife disc mounted thereon to rotate therewith, a stationary axle on which the hub is rotatably mounted, transmission means connected to the motor and to the hub to rotate the knife disc, the knife disc being disposed at an oblique angle to the vertical, guide means mounted in the casing, a carriage for the material to be sliced extending substantially per pendicular to the plane of the knife and being slidably mounted by support means for reciprocating motion on the guide means past the knife disc, a band having two runs and being operatively mounted in the casing, two spaced wheels on which the band is movably mounted, transmission means connected to the hub and to the band to operate the latter from the motor, the band having a member projecting substantially normal to the plane of the band, means connected to the carriage and in operative engagement with the projecting member, whereby upon movement of the band the carriage will be reciprocated on the guide means, said first-mentioned means including a coupling lever permanently connected to the carriage and having a slot therein into which the projecting member engages, said coupling lever being pivotally mounted on the support means and means connected to the carriage to adjust the coupling lever from the outside of the casing to move its slot in and out of contact with the projecting member whereby the carriage is connected to or disconnected from the transmission and gear means as to be free for manual reciprocation on the guide means, the motor, the hub, the transmission and gear means, the guide means and the coupling means being completely covered by the casing, and said coupling lever by its pivotal mounting swinging in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the band in engaged or disengaged position relative to the projecting member on the band, said means including a spiral slotted rod connected to the coupling lever to swing the coupling lever by means of the rod.

3. A slicing machine for foods of the gravity feed type, comprising a closed casing, a motor mounted in the casing, a hub having a knife disc mounted thereon to rotate therewith, a stationary axle on which the hub is rotatably mounted, transmission means connected to the motor and to the hub to rotate the disc, the knife being disposed at an oblique angle to the vertical, guide means mounted in the casing, a carriage for the material to be sliced extending substantially perpendicular to the plane of the knife and being slidably mounted by support means for reciprocating motion on the guide means past the knife disc, a chain having two runs and operatively mounted in the casing, two spaced sprocket wheels around which the chain travels, a second chain connected to the hub and to one of the sprocket wheels to operate the first-mentioned chain from the motor, the first-mentioned chain having a pin projecting substantially normal to the plane of the chain, means connected to the carriage and in operating engagement with the projecting pi'n whereby upon movement of the first-mentioned chain the carriage will be reciprocated on the guide means, said first-mentioned means including a coupling lever pivotally mounted on the support means and connected to the carriage and having a slot therein into which the projecting pin engages, and means connected to the carriage to adjust the coupling lever from the outside of the casing to move its slot in and out of contact with the projecting pin, whereby the carriage is connected to or disconnected from the transmission and gear means to be free for manual reciprocation on the guide means, the motor, the hub, the transmission and gear means, the guide means and the coupling means being completely covered by the casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Zimmermann June 3, 1952 Grove Dec. 22, 1953 Lundeil Apr. 3, 1956 King May 8, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS France Jan. 20, 1947 Germany July 9, 1953 

